Zac's Hacks - Easy Telecaster Setup - Ask Zac 55

Hi Zac, first of all i really dig your videos about vintage style tele‘s since I got my vintera road Worn 50s one! Loving it. I got a question about loosing and retightening the neck for trusrod adjustment. My tele is my first guitar where I have to detach the neck for trusrod adjustments. After I tightened the neck afterwards I immendiantly noticed many finish cracks around the neck pocket and screwplate on the back. Is this just normal nitro finish handling the pressure or did i overtighten the 4 screws and it shouldnt chip like that? 🤔 im just curious. Would really
appreciate some advice! Thanks and have a Good day :)

One shop off 51st and Centennial that I won't name in Nashville is charging $650 for a strat re-fret. Insane.

What capo are you using? I like the minimal footprint

Seems like you need a lot of tools.

Your Teles always sound great, so your methods obviously work for you. One thing I found interesting was your comment about erring sharp, if you have to err, when setting intonation. I've always erred the opposite way if forced to. My thought being I can slightly bend a flat note to pitch by feel, but certainly can't flatten a sharp note. But again, your Teles sound great, so........

My hack to easy set up a Telecaster: buy a Performer, it's perfect about lutherie. Then choose the pickups you prefer. End of the story!

Thanks for the input ... call me crazy but I like to set my string height by feel, and I raise or lower pickup height to get the bass/treble/volume right where I like as well ...crazy right?

Why not use the harmonic for checking intonation?

Hello, new subscriber here. Any tips on strong buzz? I bought a pre-owned American tele pro ii and it'd be perfect if not for the strong buzz that is mostly concentrated near the headstock. Thank you!

Amazing video! Thanks a lot

I always enjoy the clips!

I also thought you might list that older than dirt no.150 set that Hendrix was thought to play. That .038 6th string was just nuts. In my memory, that was the first rock n roll strings, even before Ernie Ball but I may be wrong.

For Fenders I like to go to .009s or even .0095 sets that are available. I think that .009 sets should have always used .015 for thirds. I don't get the .016 when your second is just an .011.

Zack what’s ur take on wireless acoustic set ups , are they different than electric, any brand you recommend, u may do a video. On the subject
Thanks

Great video, Zac. And I didn't even ask!

Where can one order the compensated saddles?

refret for $500 thats insane

That lick sounds like "Husbands and Wives"

I prefer "tips"--thank you for your perspective. Setting your way without tools makes more "player" sense. I learned quite a bit on this blog.

I just now realized that fender Teles have no truss rod adjustment, shame on u FENDER!

YOU SUCK ZAC

I use the harmonic at the twelfth to tune the open string and of course, stop the string at the twelfth fret to check intonation. The reason I use the harmonic at the 12th fret is because the electronic tuners seem to be able to "hear" harmonics easier than open strings.

I love the 10/38 set... got 'em on every thing

I always set up "by eye/feel" but i did recently purchase one of the hack kits, haven't put it near my Tele save for checking the radius at the bridge because i had lowered the action, i was only slightly high on one string. I did use it more extensively on a custom guitar i recently refurbished. i set up how i felt was pretty close and then used the tools to actually check and there was some changes to string height at the bridge( im waiting for some new nut files from Japan) and backed of the truss rod a 1/4 turn and it did improve playability over ,y set-up without the tool. TBH as far as the truss rod goes i did look and feel that it did require backing of a bit so i cant give the tool full credit there. Nuts are a pain, i agree they are fiddly buggers, done more than a few over the years. Never tried shimming a nut, might give it a go though...

If it feels good to you and you're the one who's going to play it, then this is the best approach. If you're setting up for someone else, then measurements rule - if only to allow a consistency.

Go by feel. Yes. That's how I do it too. I've been teching since 1991. In my view all those measuring devices and highly involved methodologies are for beginners. I know that sounds elitest or something, but again, bottom line...if you need all those fancy devices you haven't developed the feel you need to set up a guitar with basic hand tools.

The lesson part was reminiscent of the song Husbands and wives recorded by Brooks and Dunn

Hi Zac,


Hope you're doung fine?

I hate to do this,  but I have to ask you again.

For some time I asked you this:


Hi Zac,
In one Video you mentioned the fact you cut off the treble pot of the neck pup from a telecaster immediately. Which makes sence to me.
Is there any possibility to provide me with a wiring schedule how you do this?
Much obliged!

Regards,

Remco 


Now, I know you answered me back then, if recall right with a link to your homepage.

Is it possible to answer me once again?

This time I'll store your answer better,  promise😀


Regards,

Remco

“I don’t work on nuts” 😂

I’m wondering where you got the idea to put the neck pickup so high. Did you see it on an old guitar or hear it from fender? I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything closer than 1/16 ~2mm high e with the string fretted.

the tele is so small in you hands

I am a new guitar player and have just purchase a cheap Harley Benton TE70 and then found your channel. Thank you so much for this, your style of teaching/informing people is amazing. sent a tip as an appreciation of this video

That’s a cool intro, I always liked those descending notes while keeping the treble same , gonna have to try and steal that if that’s ok !🙂

Hi Zac. Curious about your statement about never using harmonics when setting intonation. What's your reasoning behind that? Thanks!

Talking of setting up, I have a work colleague who is top dollar at repairing and setting up guitars but he cannot play at all so relies on my feedback for final test. I laughed when he said "I've measured my fingers with a vernier caliper and they won't physically fit on the fingerboard". I should show him a pic of Redd Volkaert - he has fingers like pork sausages.

Hmmm. I've found that it's better to go flat. That way, all I have to do is add a little finger pressure and the notes now at pitch(is that the correct word?)

Sorta like the guy talks about in the vid of EVH's tech explaining how he got the job tech'ing for Eddie. He supposedly did the same thing to Eddie's guitar when they were testing him & told him to set it up how he thinks Eddie would want it. So, he left each note a little flat because he figured Eddie probably manhandled the fretboard.

Hi Zak, I AM Asking What is a 1953 Telecasterr with the neck. pickup removed still with the bridge pickup but then added were two paf's 1950_1960s. I was blessed tto purchase this item with original casse. Thanks Ken

Thank you very much. I enjoy your videos. The pickup height adjustment hack is what I was needing. Fender's height adjustment is 1/8 " from bottom of the bass side of the pickup to the top of the magnet. The opposite little e is 1l16". I like you hack, because it has to cooperate with the top of the fret.

This is why I'm glad I have a light touch. I hopefully won't have divots in my frets for a very long time. Hopefully not ever, tbh. I learned that early on, after someone explained that my fingers don't have to touch the fretboard when fretting notes and its ok if it doesn't. That changed everything for me.

I have a squire tele that I put a jackson ne ck on with guitarheads mini rail tele bridge pickup and guitarheads strat mini rail humbucker in neck and it a les paul and the tone knob lifts up and becomes a twang monster.

Hello Zac. I'd like to ask the string height measurements at the 12th fret, Bass and Treble side on Brad's Telecaster. He always says he plays with high action but I have no clue how high. I think a lot of guys would be interested to know as well. I always watch and rewatch your videos. The best tele resource online I believe. Cheers

that tele is beautiful

Trust Zac to do the best video I've seen on this. Personally, I love your approach. I don't get why some techs have an army of tools. I just don't think it's necessary. If I can set up a guitar with three tools then anybody can.

Zac I just saw your video with Kenny Vaughn and he raves about the Brad Paisley telecaster with the Tim Shaw rear pick up and long throw Glaser B bender. I couldn’t tell however if that is something that Fender sells? Or is it a guitar he customized? I’m really interested in checking that out.

Thank you for making this workshop video!

I agree 100% with your setup method. I also use my eyes, hands and ears as my guide.

Here's Uncle Al's two cents on nuts and nut heights: First, if you have a set of slot files corresponding to your string gauges, throw aside the skinny high E file and use the B file for the the high E slot. And the G file for the B slot. And so on. You don't want the string to be all bound up by a zero-clearance slot and the file leaves the bottom of each slot round anyway, so what's the problem? The string will find the center of the slot. Secondly, the way you know a slot is too high is when the first fret plays sharp. The reason it plays sharp is you're stretching the string when you pull it down from that high slot to the fret. Deepenize the slot until the first fret plays five or six cents sharp. If you try to get it all the way down in tune the string will buzz and you messed up the nut. Oh, and have the bottoms of the slots slightly rising toward the fingerboard. Really. Listen to Uncle Al.

Yeah I for sure set my truss rod and saddle height based on where the string above hits my finger when I bend.

At times your voice reminds me of garrison keillor. Not a bad thing

Enjoyable, informative video, thanks for posting.

One small criticism - watch your video and count the number of “y’know”s.

It’s - y’know, like, y’know, distracting, y’know?